Fighting Against The Female Oppression in "Sardines" by Nuruddin Farah

Introduction

In his novel, Nuruddin Farah endeavors to expose the exploitation of patriarchy and the state's role in sustaining women's liberation. Under the administration of the Barre Government, the life of Somali women and their quest for individuality are hegemonized. The central character in this novel is Medina, whose character is portrayed vividly and vehemently. She demonstrates a bold resolution to fight against the oppression of state dictatorship and vehemently opposes the patriarchy.

Character Analysis: Medina

“Medina was as strong-minded as she was unbending in her decisions, and she guarded her secrets jealously. She was, in a manner, like her father Barkhadle. She was confident as a patriarch in the rightness of all her decisions” (Farah, 1981, p. 56). Medina is a woman who does not surrender to the illegal and unjust activities of the state administration run by Syad Barre, which leads to her dismissal from government services. This act of defiance against a selfish and corrupt government symbolizes her bold and daring attitude to resist powerful structures established by the patriarchal system.

Resistance Against Patriarchal and State Oppression

Medina rebels against the patriarchal society and government to carve out a unique role in a male-dominated country. Farah narrates her repudiation of government orders with a purpose that would benefit the oppressed in society, challenging the idea of being a mere guest in one's own country: “A room of one’s own. A country of one’s own in which one was not a guest. A country in which one was not a guest. A room in which one was not a guest” (Farah, 1981, p. 142).

Opposition to Female Genital Mutilation

Medina not only violates government rules but also opposes her husband, Samater, and her mother-in-law, Idil, who intend to circumcise her daughter, Ubax. Medina refuses this act of violence, standing against the ritual of infibulation practiced in her society. She believes this ritual, which victimizes women, should not be practiced across the country and seeks to end it.

Medina's personal experience with female circumcision fuels her determination to save her daughter and other women from such suffering, striving to create a space for a happy life. She wants her daughter to avoid the pain she endured as a child and starts this change within her family, hoping it will reflect outward to society.

The Broader Context of Female Genital Mutilation

Having endured the cruel ritual of female circumcision herself, Medina has experienced the pain and degradation it causes to women in society. Many novelists, including Farah, have addressed this sensitive issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in their works, highlighting its role in suppressing women in Somali society. This inhuman ritual is condemned by various social activists and feminists in modern Somalia. Medina’s perspective on circumcised women is deeply rooted in the painful cycle they endure: “If they mutilate you at eight or nine, they open you up with a rusty knife the night they marry you off, then when you give birth to a baby you are cut open and re-stitched. Life for a circumcised woman is a series of deflowering pains, delivery pains, and re-stitching pains” (Farah, 1981, p. 187).

Medina's Revolutionary Spirit

Medina is an intellectual woman with a revolutionary spirit, working for women's liberation. She fights for the survival of women like herself by challenging the ideologies upheld by Idil as ritual and opposing Syad Barre’s regime. Elements like the marginalization and victimization of women in society prompt her response, striving to bring change by interrupting and struggling to attain an identity as a woman.

Medina believes her struggle for women's liberation will transform her country's cultural setup. Her efforts with her daughter aim for a peaceful life without governmental or male-dominated interference. She takes significant steps to reconstruct society and instills change through her family, as illustrated in her vision of rebuilding: “She reconstructed the story from the beginning. She worked it into a set of pyramids which served as foundations for one another. Out of this, she erected a construction of great solidity and strength. She then built mansions on top of it all, mansions large as her imagination and with lots of chambers that led off corridors in which she lost herself but which led her finally, when she chose to follow, to a secret back door in another wing of the building. She stood at a distance; she breathed deeply and took her time. She admired the result” (Farah, 1981, p. 210).

Medina's Influence on Her Daughter

Medina's direct opposition to the regime of Syad Barre is evident in the novel as she prepares her daughter with an ideology of resistance. The rebellious nature of Medina is inherited by her daughter, who is encouraged to make her own decisions and avoid dependency on others.

Unlike other children, Medina does not allow Ubax to join government schools, explaining: “Why don’t you let me go to school like the other children then?” Medina purposefully tells her, “Because schools teach you nothing but songs of sycophancy and the praise names of the General. And because I can teach you better than they. I can teach you things that will be of use to you later in life” (Farah, 1981, p. 245). Medina prevents her daughter from playing with friends whose language influences her negatively, prompting Ubax’s frustration: “Why don’t you let me go and play with Abucar, Omar, and Sofia?” Medina explains, “When you come home, your language suffers from lack of originality. You keep repeating yourself, saying the same thing. I want you to speak like an enlightened child” (Farah, 1981, p. 268).

Conclusion

Medina is a strong-minded woman determined to protect herself from the patriarchal system's oppressive practices. To liberate future generations, she instills in Ubax the ideologies of resistance, independence, and freedom, enabling her to live confidently and independently. Medina also fosters the development of Ubax’s creative mind, ensuring the continuation of her revolutionary spirit.

References

Farah, N. (1981). Sardines. London: Allison & Busby.